The present invention relates to a connector, and in particular, relates to a connector which performs a connection with a sheet shaped or a flat-plate shaped connection target such as an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit), an FFC (Flexible Flat Cable), or the like.
In recent years, as the miniaturization and densification of electronic apparatuses, downsizing in the outer dimension of such a kind of connector is required, as well, and a thin component is being used as a component of a housing or the like which configures the connector. For this reason, it takes time when inserting a connection target into a connector, and a confirming operation for confirming whether or not the connection target is completely inserted into the connector is necessary.
As a connector which is suitable for such a confirming operation, for example, JP 10-214659 A discloses a connector in which an inspection hole 62 for confirming is formed in a housing 61, as illustrated in FIG. 15. When a connection target 63 such as an FPC, or the like is inserted up to a predetermined position in the housing 61 from an insertion opening 64 formed in the housing 61, a contact portion 65 which is formed on the surface of the connection target 63 is normally connected to a contact 66 which is fixed into the housing 61, and at this time, it is possible to confirm that the connection target 63 is inserted up to the predetermined position from above the housing 61 through the inspection hole 62.
However, in this connector, the connection target 63 should be inserted from the insertion opening 64 which is formed on the side portion of the housing 61, and in case the outer dimension of the connector is small, an insertion operation of the connection target 63 becomes difficult. In addition, since there is no mechanism which locks a position of the connection target 63 with respect to the connector, even if the insertion up to the predetermined position of the connection target 63 is once confirmed, there is a concern that the position of the connection target 63 may be deviated due to stress which is applied to the connection target 63 thereafter.
In contrast to this, as illustrated in FIG. 16, a connector has been developed in which an actuator 68 is attached to a housing 67 so as to be rotatable, a front end portion of a connection target 69 such as the FPC, FFC, or the like is inserted up to a slightly forward position of the actuator 68 in a state in which the actuator 68 is opened at an angle of 90° or more to the housing 67, and then mechanically holds the connection target 69 by closing the actuator 68.
In the connector having such an actuator 68, it is possible to easily perform the insertion operation of the connection target 69 even when the connector is small, since the connection target 69 is inserted in a state in which the actuator 68 is open, and moreover, it is possible to lock the position of the connection target 69 by mechanically holding the connection target 69 using the actuator 68. However, even when an inspection hole is formed in the vicinity of the actuator 68 of the housing 67 in order to confirm whether or not the connection target 69 is completely inserted, like the connector which is illustrated in FIG. 15, in a state in which the actuator 68 is open, the actuator 68 is located right above the inspection hole by being inclined by 90° or more to the housing 67, and thus it is not possible to confirm the insertion of the connection target 69 from the upper part of the housing 67 through the inspection hole.
Even granting that an inspection hole is formed in the actuator 68, as well, and the confirmation of insertion of the connection target 69 is performed from above through both the inspection hole of the housing 67 and the inspection hole of the actuator 68, when the actuator 68 is opened at an angle of 90° or more, the inspection hole should be obliquely formed with respect to the actuator 68, and it is difficult to mold the actuator 68 from the viewpoint of structure of metal mold. In addition, when there is an inspection hole, it is difficult to achieve miniaturization since resin for molding becomes difficult to flow in the metal mold, a warp is apt to occur in the molded actuator 68, and the strength of the molded actuator 68 also decreases.
Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 17, in a connector which is disclosed in JP 2009-70577 A, an insertion member 71 in which an inspection hole is formed in the vertical direction is prepared as a different component from a housing 70, a connection target 72 is inserted into the housing 70, and then the insertion member 71 is inserted into the housing 70, thereby confirming an insertion of the connection target 72 while locking the connection target 72.
However, in a structure in which the insertion member 71 as a different component is inserted into the housing 70, it is not possible to satisfy a demand for miniaturizing. In addition, since similarly to the connector illustrated in FIG. 15, the upper part of the insertion portion of the connection target 72 is covered with the housing 70, an insertion operation of the connection target 72 becomes difficult, and thus the housing is not suitable for a small connector.